Morning journal and courier., 1887-10-13
CASHIER BARRON MURDERED. A Startling Confession Made By a Bank RObber Who Has Been Caps tured After Nfnc Years.

FRANKLIN, Mass, Oct. 12. David L Stain was arrested to-day by Boston officers charged with being concerned in the Dexter Me-, bank robbery nine years ago. After being photographed he was taken away by the officers. Stain has lived here several years and has worked at boot and shoe re- pairing, but formerly lived in Medway. At the time of the alleged robbery he was not g resident here. He has been reported as worth several thousand dollars.
 NEW YORK, Oct. 12.-The Evening World publishes confession by Charles Francis Stain concerning the murder Of Cashier J. W. Barron of the National Savings bank at Dex- ter; Me-, on February g, 1878, and the rob bery of the bank. Barron was found on the evening of that holiday lying bleeding and unconscious in the bank vault. The door of the vault was open, but the funds were un- touched and only $200 in money and $500 bond were missing from the cash drawer. The story was started that Barron had com mitted suicide to avoid exposure of some misconduct toward the bank, but this was man named Charles Francis Stain has now made a statement that he and his father, David Stain, with Oliver Smith alias Crom- we'll, we'll known criminal, and four men named Andrews, Thompson, Scott and Keeley were implicated in' the crime. They had procured impressions of all the locks in the building where the bank was located and took advantage of the holiday when the building seemed deserted to gain entrance by false keys. On opening the vault room door David Stain found himself face to face with Barron, who had been to the coal closet and was returning with a scuttle of coal in one hand and shovel in the other. The vault door was unlocked and the cashier was apparently arranging to count the funds and verify his accounts. Instantly and without word, says yonng Stain, "father pulled slungshot from his pocket and struck MT. Barron on the right side of the face Barron staggered and father struck him an- other blow with the slungshot on the top of the head and Barron fell to the floor. He was not, however, unconscious and tried to rise, when father leaped forward and struck him a third blow again on the head. Cromwell then jumped forward, grasped
 
 his neck and pulled it tight, while father forced gag into the poor mans mouth and knotted it at the back of his head They then proceeded to handcuff his hands behind his back and laid the handcuf key on the floor behind him. At this time he was uncon- scious. Father took Barrnn's keys from his pocket and thrust them into his own pocket Then Cromwell and father lifted Barron, car ried him into the vault and lad him on the floor. The great door of one of the safes was open, but neither father nor Cromwell dared to make examination of the contents of the vault. They hastily closed the door. Father drew Barron's keys from his pocket and unlocked the money drawer in the front room of the bank. He gathered up what loose money there was. amounting to little less than $200, and thrust $500 bond which was lying in the drawer into his pocket" The other members of the gang had been on the watch in and near the building and on learning that the cashier had seen Stain they decided to Bee. Young Stain had waited at Bingham few miles away with a wagon. All found their way thither and drove to Solon, Me-, where they separated. They did not learn that Bar ron was dead until the next day. Young Stain heard all the details of the robbery from his father and Cromwell He believed that some of the gang started the story of Barron's de- falcation in order to divert suspicion from themselves. Young Stain is under ar rest at Franklin, Mass, where he made the confession. He was traced there by detec- tive from Maine. It is believed that the others involved will be captured.